Mary Pat McGuire

Mary Pat McGuire is an Associate Professor and Dean's Fellow for Research in the College of Fine & Applied Arts at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, within the Department of Landscape Architecture. She holds professional licenses in Illinois, Virginia, and California. Her work focuses on transforming post-industrial urban landscapes to enhance ecological resilience and community well-being through initiatives like Depave Chicago and the Water Lab. McGuire’s research addresses urban flooding, green infrastructure, and climate adaptation, with projects in the Chicago-Calumet region generating over $10M in green stormwater investments.

Education includes an MLA from the University of Virginia (2003), a BA in International Relations/Political Theory from William & Mary (1994), and certificates in Sustainability Management (University of Chicago) and Woody Plants (George Washington University). Prior academic roles include practice with Peter Walker and Partners and Conservation Design Forum.

Her research emphasizes design solutions for urban surfaces, including depaving projects and air-quality tree buffers for schools near highways. Collaborations span federal agencies, NGOs, and municipalities, yielding outcomes like Whiting, Indiana’s mile-long tree buffer to combat BP refinery pollution. McGuire’s pedagogical work integrates climate adaptation into landscape architecture education, supported by grants from the Walder Foundation, NOAA, and others.

Key initiatives include the Illinois Groundwork compendium for green infrastructure guidance and planning the 2026 Depave Summit. Her awards include the 2019 ASLA Student Collaboration Award for student projects. McGuire advises graduate theses addressing global climate resilience and co-leads interdisciplinary design studios fostering student engagement with real-world urban challenges.